


5 Times the Malex Squad tried to intervene and one time when Kyle Valenti, self-proclaimed best friend to Alex Manes, had enough.

by djchika



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Background Alex Manes/Forrest Long, Kyle is a Good Bro, M/M, that needs to be a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:28:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24859153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/djchika/pseuds/djchika
Summary: Jesus. This again. His friends needed more hobbies aside from going after alien murderers and meddling in people’s love lives.
Relationships: Alex Manes & Kyle Valenti, Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 28
Kudos: 187





	5 Times the Malex Squad tried to intervene and one time when Kyle Valenti, self-proclaimed best friend to Alex Manes, had enough.

**1.**

Kyle hadn’t been too proud to admit he was hurt that Alex hadn't mention he was playing at the Pony. He’d stared at Alex all wounded and betrayed when Greg had gone on and on about how Alex’s song made him cry.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Alex had given him a look then mockingly repeated, “I _really_ hate Open Mic Night.

“I meant country music and crappy spoken word poetry. I don’t mean you!”

“For the record Forrest is an organizer _and_ he does spoken word. Maybe don’t say that around him if you’re serious about coming next time.”

Kyle had grimaced. Someday he was going to stop inserting his foot into his mouth, but it had not been that day. He did however, concoct a great plan to make up for missing Alex’s performance and accidentally dissing Alex’s new boy wonder and that was grabbing a table front and center during the next Open Mic Night.

He was even there early which was nice cause he was able to hang out with Alex and Forrest. What was unfortunate was that they had to excuse themselves the moment the program started – Forrest to host and Alex to do whatever musicians do to pump themselves up before a game. Unfortunate, because Isobel arrived dragging a surlier than usual looking Guerin and commandeered the empty seats.

“Um, someone’s sitting there.” Kyle pointed out.

“We’ll move when they get back,” Isobel said, “We’re just here for one song.”

Kyle scowled. Fine. He could just ignored them. He was gone after Alex’s anyway. There’d already been one guy singing about dusty roads and pick up trucks and that was already one song too many.

The moment Forrest said Alex’s name Kyle hooted embarrassingly loud grinning brightly when Alex rolled his eyes at him. He didn’t miss the softer smile Alex aimed at Guerin.

Kyle also didn’t miss Isobel’s soft _“Oh no,”_ when Alex called Forrest up to perform with him.

It was a new song. One about hope and new beginnings. Alex sang and played the piano with Forrest reciting bits of poetry during the refrain. It would have been cringe-worthy if Alex’s music didn’t turn Forrest overly dramatic words into something heartfelt and beautiful.

Kyle could almost say he was enjoying it.

What he was _not_ enjoying was the furious whispering between Isobel and Michael.

“This is stupid,” he heard Isobel hiss. “You should be the one up there singing with him.”

“We’ve talked about this.”

“Yeah, yeah. That was before you spent the last month and a half moping. Tripp and Nora never got their chance at happiness. I don’t want you to lose yours too.”

“You know what would make _me_ happy? If you two shut up while Alex is singing,” Kyle interjected quietly. He trained a glare at Isobel. “ _Regardless_ of who’s up there with him this is a big deal for him singing with a guy and you’re ruining it."

Isobel huffed, but stayed silent.

Michael stared at him for a second looking like he’d swallowed curdled milk, before finally gritting out the word “Thanks.”

Ah. Apparently, that sour look was him experiencing gratitude towards Kyle. Figures.

**2.**

“Your doctor said you can go back to work slowly. That doesn’t mean jumping straight into a 12-hour shift.” Kyle gave Maria his sternest doctor face, but Maria just brushed him off.

“It’s been two months. I’m not doing anything excessive. I was doing paper work, but Max needed a break.”

The fact that Max was now a bartender still broke Kyle’s brain sometimes. Not because there was anything wrong with bartending, but nerdy Max Evans was no bar hound.

“I said I could watch it for him,” Guerin grumbled from where he was brooding like a gargoyle on a bar stool.

“If I left you to watch over the bar, I’d be out of business and your liver would be one big alcohol rag.” She paused, then whispered low, “Wait, do you have a liver?”

“They do,” Kyle confirmed. He’d been intimately acquainted with Noah’s for a while.

“And we all know you really have a heart,” Maria said, poking Guerin in the chest. “Although why you enjoy breaking it, I have no idea.”

Kyle turned when he saw that Michael was no longer paying attention to them and was in fact, staring across the room where Alex and Forrest were alone in a booth.

Nope.

He gave Maria another stern look, this time coming from the guy who was fast considering Alex Manes as his best friend. “Your doctor definitely advises against meddling in other people’s affairs.”

Maria rolled her eyes, but didn’t press further. The pained grateful look Michael threw at Kyle was still hilarious.

**3.**

“Valenti.”

“Evans. Guerin.” Kyle said, eyebrows up to his hairline. The two of them showing up at his doorstep at any time of day meant trouble.

“We need your help,” Max said, pushing Michael gently forward. The two of them showing up at his doorstep with Michael’s hand wrapped around a bloody shirt definitely meant trouble.

Trouble in this case was thankfully not of the alien variety. More like Guerin was apparently a genius who turned into a clumsy idiot around Alex. Kyle had known that for a long time now, but he’d figured after half a year of the whole tortured unrequited love schtick, Michael would at least learn to be less self-destructive.

“I didn’t do it on purpose!” Michael said, when Max pointed out the same thing.

“You’ve been fixing cars for how long?” Kyle asked as he wrapped a proper bandage around Michael’s hand.

“Since I was thirteen.” 

“And you accidentally slammed the hood of your truck on your head _then_ on your hand because?”

“Alex was out jogging shirtless,” Max said when instead of answering Michael huffed petulantly. “Which I still don’t understand, man. You’ve seen him shirtless before.”

“You wouldn’t happen to have some acetone, would you?” Michael asked Kyle, completely ignoring Max. “And another bandage to cover his mouth.”

Kyle ignored the second request, leaving to grab a bottle of acetone from the stash he’d started keeping for alien emergencies. 

When he got back to the living room, Max still seemed to be ragging on Michael. “He doesn’t even know how you feel.”

“He doesn’t need to know. Not right now.”

“You keep saying that. It’s been more than ten years of waiting for the right moment.”

“Then what’s a couple more?” Michael snarked back.

Jesus. This again. His friends needed more hobbies aside from going after alien murderers and prying in people’s love lives.

Kyle thrust the bottle of acetone at Michael then told Max, “The patient needs to rest. You need to leave.”

“I drove him here.”

“You can come back for him after a few hours when I’m sure he doesn’t have a concussion,” Kyle said, practically pushing Max out the door.

“Thanks,” Michael said, resting his head against the back of Kyle’s couch and grimacing slightly.

He wasn’t sure if that face was because of Michael’s injuries or because he had to thank Kyle again.

"I’ll get you some ice for your head,” he stopped halfway to the kitchen and turned to Guerin. “You know whose side I’m on in this, right?”

Michael gave him a small lopsided smile. “I still hate you for what you put him through, but you’ve been a good friend to him lately.”

Kyle nodded. Yeah. It took him a long time to stop hating himself for that too.

**4.**

True to her character, Rosa didn’t even try being subtle.

She gave Alex the stink eye when he walked into the Crashdown with Forrest in tow. “Wait, I thought Isobel said you were soulmates with Gu—”

“—Guh-regory.” Kyle blurted out, then backpedaled quickly when all three of them gave him confused looks, “and she said service mates, not soulmates. Which is wrong because Greg was in the Navy.”

Rosa raised her eyebrows then proceeded to sip noisily from her milkshake.

When Alex and Forrest moved on to their own booth, Rosa eyed him suspiciously. “Are you trying the protective older brother thing on Alex too?”

“I’m not trying to be anyone’s older brother. And you’re both older than me. Technically,” Kyle added. “Besides, Alex doesn’t need protecting. He’s happy. People should just let him be happy.”

“Whatever,” Rosa said with a roll of her eyes. Then she grinned. “You’re totally on Team Malex though right?”

“Malex?”

“It’s what Isobel calls them.”

Kyle shook his head. “People in this town have way too much time in their hands.”

**5.**

The last straw was Liz literally lifting a straw from Alex’s leftover milkshake.

She had barely arrived back home updated on all the gossip thanks to Maria and Rosa and had apparently not changed one bit.

“No,” he said, grabbing the straw from her and grimacing at the sticky mess now in his hand. 

“Rosa said Isobel mentioned a cosmic connection. If I checked for proof then maybe—”

“No,” Kyle repeated bringing the straw with him when he left the Crashdown.

Seriously, was he the only adult amongst his friends? This was getting out of hand.

**+1**

“What’s the big emergency?” Isobel asked the moment the three aliens arrived at their newest secret bunker. Maria, Rosa and Liz were already sitting there, waiting impatiently for the reason Kyle had called the meeting.

Michael looked around, then froze. “Wait, where’s Alex?”

“Oh god, did he get kidnapped again?”

“No, he’s safe!” Kyle clarified quickly when six pairs of stricken eyes stared at him.

“Then why are we here?”

Kyle paused then said gravely, “This is an intervention. You all need to lay off Guerin and Alex. I know lately he’s been more sad, pathetic cowboy than angry cowboy, but he did the right thing walking away. It would have been a dick move rejecting Alex then going after him again just when he started going out with someone else. He’s right to wait until they’re both ready. So leave them alone.”

“You called us here to tell us to mind our own business, but aren’t you also technically minding their business by telling us to mind our own business?” Isobel asked, obviously faking confusion.

Maria and Rosa giggled, while Liz tried looked like she was trying not to smile and failing miserably.

Kyle crossed his arms, mustering his dad’s patented disapproving look and giving them all a good dose. “Alex has made his choice. If it’s the wrong choice then it’s his wrong choice to make. If we’re really his _friends_ we need to respect that.”

Pulling out the friend card quickly sobered up Maria, Rosa and Liz who looked at each other guiltily. Max just sat there quietly seeming unsure why he was there in the first place, while Isobel finally huffed then finally nodded.

“Good,” Kyle declared. “No more pushing. No more meddling. Now we’re all going home, and Guerin is going to drown his heartbreak at the Wild Pony.”

“You really think Alex is that into Forrest?” Isobel asked, when everyone else had left and it was just her and Kyle.

Kyle let slip a small smile. Now that he had her word she wouldn’t interfere; he had no qualms in telling her what he knew. “Alex said it’s been fizzling out for weeks. They finally called it quits a few days ago.”

“What? Why didn’t you say anything? Michael could have rushed off to wherever Alex is and declared his undying love, black cowboy hat in hand.”

He gave her a look because 1.) they just went through this and 2.) Isobel was clearly watching too many soaps.

“Right. No meddling,” She pouted, then brightened immediately. “Doesn’t mean we can’t still watch in the sidelines. Where did you say Alex was again?”

“I didn’t,” Kyle paused and then added casually, “But we’re supposed to have drinks at the Pony tonight.”

Isobel gasped seeming to remember Kyle directing Michael to the same place. “You are such a hypocrite.”

“It’s not meddling if they just happen to be at same place at the same time at the right moment.”

She grabbed his arm, dragging him towards the door. “You and I are going there right now. We deserve to see this pay off.”

Kyle didn’t resist. As cheesy as all this was, he’d love to see Alex’s epic happy ending too.


End file.
